The iPhone Should Be Taken Away From O2 Ireland
15/04/08 21:24 Filed in: Tech
Apple have a
justifiable reputation as a company with a talent for
marketing. Which is why I find it strange that they
persist with O2 as their exclusive retail partner for
the iPhone in Ireland.
An 8GB iPhone in Ireland will set you back €399 for the handset. The basic calls/text/data package for the iPhone costs €45 per month, and for that you get 175 minutes of calls, 100 texts and 1GB of data.
O2 are also the exclusive retail partner for the iPhone in the UK. There you can pick up an 8GB model for £269 (€334), with a basic monthly tariff costing £35 (€43.50). This tariff includes 600 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited data. Also O2 UK supports visual voicemail, while O2 Ireland does not.
It's been announced today that if you buy an 8GB model in the UK before 1 June, it will only cost €169 (€210).
I cannot understand for a moment why anyone in Ireland would buy an iPhone from O2 Ireland. Compared to the UK, the 8GB phone is almost 20% more expensive at normal prices (90% more expensive during the £100 off promotion). For a similarly priced tariff, our neighbours get 242% more minutes, 250% more text and ∞% more data.
As Pat Phelan calls it: the Paddy Tax.
I'd love to know how many iPhones have been sold in Ireland since it was launched just over a month ago. Surely if they priced the device in line with the UK and offered similarly priced tariffs, the iPhone would be a smash hit. As it is, the only incentive is to take a trip to Northern Ireland, buy one there and jailbreak it.
Come on Apple! Your "partners" are holding back the potential of your device!
An 8GB iPhone in Ireland will set you back €399 for the handset. The basic calls/text/data package for the iPhone costs €45 per month, and for that you get 175 minutes of calls, 100 texts and 1GB of data.
O2 are also the exclusive retail partner for the iPhone in the UK. There you can pick up an 8GB model for £269 (€334), with a basic monthly tariff costing £35 (€43.50). This tariff includes 600 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited data. Also O2 UK supports visual voicemail, while O2 Ireland does not.
It's been announced today that if you buy an 8GB model in the UK before 1 June, it will only cost €169 (€210).
I cannot understand for a moment why anyone in Ireland would buy an iPhone from O2 Ireland. Compared to the UK, the 8GB phone is almost 20% more expensive at normal prices (90% more expensive during the £100 off promotion). For a similarly priced tariff, our neighbours get 242% more minutes, 250% more text and ∞% more data.
As Pat Phelan calls it: the Paddy Tax.
I'd love to know how many iPhones have been sold in Ireland since it was launched just over a month ago. Surely if they priced the device in line with the UK and offered similarly priced tariffs, the iPhone would be a smash hit. As it is, the only incentive is to take a trip to Northern Ireland, buy one there and jailbreak it.
Come on Apple! Your "partners" are holding back the potential of your device!